PowerPoint 2010

Introduction

PowerPoint 2010 is a presentation software that allows you to create dynamic slide

presentations that can include animation, narration, images, and videos. In this lesson, you will

learn your way around the PowerPoint 2010 environment, including getting to know the

new Backstage view.

We will also show you how to use and modify the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar, in addition to learning how to create new presentations and open existing files.

Getting to know PowerPoint 2010

If you are familiar with PowerPoint 2007, you'll notice that there aren't too many changes to

the 2010 interface other than Backstage view, which we'll cover later in this lesson.

However, if you are new to PowerPoint, you will first need to take some time to learn about slides and how to navigate PowerPoint.

Navigating PowerPoint to create a slide presentation

PowerPoint uses slides to build a presentation. To create an engaging presentation,

PowerPoint allows you to add text, bulleted lists, images, charts, and video to your slides. You

can add as many slides as you want to a presentation, and at any time you can view or play back your presentation by selecting one of the slide show play options.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn how to navigate and interact with

slides in the PowerPoint window.

Working with your PowerPoint environment

The Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar are where you will find the commands you need to

perform common tasks in PowerPoint. If you are familiar with PowerPoint 2007, you will find

that the main difference in the PowerPoint 2010 Ribbon is that commands such as Open and

Print are now housed in Backstage view.

The Ribbon

The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. Some tabs,

like Drawing Tools or Table Tools, may appear only when you are working with certain

items like images or tables. In addition, you can add your own customized tabs that contain your favorite commands.

Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the

Ribbon. These tabs are called add-ins.

To customize the Ribbon:

You can customize the Ribbon by creating your own tabs that house your desired commands.

Commands are always housed within a group, and you can create as many groups as you need

to keep your tabs organized. You can even add commands to any of the default tabs, as long as you create a custom group within the tab.

1. Right-click the Ribbon, and select Customize the Ribbon. A dialog box will appear.

2. Click New Tab. A new tab will be created with a new group inside it.

3. Make sure the new group is selected.

4. Select a command from the list on the left, then click Add. You can also drag

commands directly into a group.

5. When you are done adding commands, click OK.

If you do not see the command you want, click on the Choose commands drop-down box

and select All Commands.

To minimize and maximize the Ribbon:

The Ribbon is designed to be easy to use and responsive to your current task; however, if you find it is taking up too much of your screen space, you can minimize it.

1. Click the arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon to minimize it.

2. To maximize the Ribbon, click the arrow again.

When the Ribbon is minimized, you can make it reappear by clicking a tab. However, the

Ribbon will disappear again when you are not using it.

The Quick Access toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar, located above the Ribbon, lets you access common commands no

matter which tab you are on. By default, it shows the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands.

You can add other commands to make it more convenient.

To add commands to the Quick Access toolbar:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access toolbar.

2. Select the command you want to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from

more commands, select More Commands.

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening, printing, and sharing your

presentation. It is similar to the Microsoft Office button menu from PowerPoint 2007 and

the File Menu from earlier versions of PowerPoint. However, instead of just a menu it's a full-page view, which makes it easier to work with.

To get to Backstage view:

1. Click the File tab.

2. You can choose an option on the left side of the page.

3. To get back to your document, click any tab on the Ribbon.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different things you can do in

Backstage view.

Creating and opening presentations

PowerPoint files are called presentations. When you start a new project in PowerPoint, you'll

need to create a new presentation. You'll also need to know how to open an existing

presentation.

To create a new blank presentation:

1. Click the File tab. This takes you to Backstage view.

2. Select New.

3. Select Blank presentation under Available Templates and Themes. It will be

highlighted by default.

4. Click Create. A new blank presentation appears in the PowerPoint window.

5.

To save time, you can create your presentation from an Office.com template, which you

can also select under Available Templates and Themes.

To open an existing presentation:

1. Click the File tab. This takes you to Backstage view.

2. Select Open. The Open dialog box appears.

3. Select your desired presentation, then click Open.

If you have opened the existing presentation recently, it may be easier to

choose Recent from the File tab instead of Open to search for your presentation.

Compatibility mode

Sometimes you may need to work with presentations that were created in earlier versions of

PowerPoint, such as PowerPoint 2003 or PowerPoint 2000. When you open these types of presentations, they will appear in Compatibility mode.

Compatibility mode disables certain features, so you'll only be able to access commands

found in the program that was used to create the presentation. For example, if you open a

presentation created in PowerPoint 2003, you can only use tabs and commands found in

PowerPoint 2003.

In the image below, the workbook has opened in Compatibility mode. Many of the newer slide transitions have been disabled, and only the 2003 transitions are available.

To exit Compatibility mode, you'll need to convert the presentation to the current version

type. However, if you're collaborating with others who only have access to an earlier version

of PowerPoint, it's best to leave the presentation in Compatibility mode so the format will not change.

To convert a presentation:

If you want access to all PowerPoint 2010 features, you can convert the presentation to the

2010 file format.

Note that converting a file may cause some changes to the original layout of the

presentation.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.

2. Locate and select the Convert command.

3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to save the

workbook, enter a file name for the presentation, and click Save.

4. The presentation will be converted to the newest file type.

Challenge!

1. Open PowerPoint 2010 on your computer. A new blank presentation will appear on

the screen.

2. Try minimizing and maximizing the Ribbon.

3. Click through all of the tabs, and notice how the Ribbon options change.

4. Try switching page views.

5. Add any commands you want to the Quick Access toolbar.

6. Close PowerPoint without saving the presentation.

PowerPoint 2010 Slide Basics

Introduction

PowerPoint includes all of the features you need to produce professional-looking

presentations. When you create a PowerPoint presentation, it is made up of a series of slides.

The slides contain the information you want to communicate with your audience. This

information can include text, pictures, charts, video, and sound.

Before you begin adding information to slides, you'll need to know the basics of working with

slides. In this lesson, you will learn how to insert new slides, modify a layout, and change your presentation view.

Slide basics

Every PowerPoint presentation is composed of a series of slides. To begin creating a slide

show, you'll need to know the basics of working with slides. You'll need to feel comfortable

with tasks such as inserting a new slide, changing the layout of a slide, arranging existing slides, changing slide view, and adding notes to a slide.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

About slides

Slides contain placeholders, which are areas on the slide that are enclosed by dotted borders.

Placeholders can contain many different items, including text, pictures, and charts. Some

placeholders have placeholder text, or text you can replace. They also have thumbnail-sized

icons that represent specific commands such as Insert Picture, Insert Chart, and Insert

ClipArt. In PowerPoint, hover over each icon to see the type of content you can insert in a placeholder.

About slide layouts

Placeholders are arranged in different layouts that can be applied to existing slides or chosen

when you insert a new slide. A slide layout arranges your content using different types of placeholders, depending on what information you might want to include in your presentation.

In the example above, the layout is called Title and Content and includes title and content

placeholders. While each layout has a descriptive name, you can also tell from the image of the layout how the placeholders will be arranged.

Customizing slide layouts

To change the layout of an existing slide:

1. Select the slide you want to change.

2. Click the Layout command in the Slides group on the Home tab. A menu will appear

with your options.

3. Choose a layout from the menu. The slide will change in the presentation.

To delete a placeholder:

You can easily customize your layout by deleting unwanted—or extra—placeholders from any

slide.

1. Position your mouse on the dotted border of the placeholder so it changes to a cross

with arrows .

2. Click the border to select it.

3. Press Backspace or Delete on your keyboard. The placeholder will be removed from

the slide.

To add a text box:

Text boxes allow you to add to your current layout, so you can place text wherever you want on your slide.

1. From the Insert tab, click the Text Box command.

2. Your cursor will turn into an upside-down cross .

3. Click, hold, and drag your mouse to draw a text box. A text box will appear.

Explore our Text Basics lesson to learn more about inserting and using text boxes in

PowerPoint 2010.

To use a blank slide:

For more control over your content, you may prefer a blank slide—a slide without

placeholders—over one of the existing layouts. Blank slides can be customized by adding your own text boxes, pictures, charts, and more.

Select Blank from the menu of layout options.

Working with slides

To insert a new slide:

1. From the Home tab, click the bottom half of the New Slide command to open the

menu of slide layout options.

2. Select the slide you want to insert.

3. A new slide will be added your presentation.

To instantly add a slide that uses the same layout as the one you have selected, click the

top half of the New Slide command.

To copy and paste a slide:

1. On the Slides tab in the left pane, select the slide you want to copy.

2. Click the Copy command on the Home tab. You can also right-click your selection

and choose Copy.

3. In the left pane, click just below a slide—or between two slides—to choose the

location where you want the copy to appear. A horizontal insertion point will mark

the location.

4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab. You can also right-click and choose Paste.

The copied slide will appear.

To select multiple slides, press and hold Ctrl on your keyboard and click the slides you

want to select.

To duplicate a slide:

An alternative to copying and pasting, duplicating slides copies the selected slide and—in one

step—pastes it directly underneath. This feature does not allow you to choose the location of

the copied slide, nor does it offer Paste Options for advanced users, so it's more convenient for quickly inserting similar slides.

1. Select the slide you want to duplicate.

2. Click the New Slide command.

3. Choose Duplicate Selected Slides from the drop-down menu.

4. A copy of the selected slide appears underneath the original.

To delete a slide:

1. Select the slide you want to delete.

2. Press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard.

To move a slide:

1. Select the slide you want to move.

2. Click, hold, and drag your mouse to a new location. A horizontal insertion point will

mark the location.

3. Release the mouse button. The slide will appear in the new location.

As you add slides to your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of views and tools to help you organize and prepare your slide show.

About slide views

It's important to be able to access the different slide views and use them for various tasks.

The slide view commands are located on the bottom-right of the PowerPoint window in Normal view.

Normal view: This is the default view where you create and edit your slides. You can also move slides in the Slides tab in the pane on the left.

Slide Sorter view: In this view, miniature slides are arranged on the screen. You can drag and

drop slides to easily reorder them and to see more slides at one time. This is a good view to use to confirm that you have all the needed slides and that none have been deleted.

Reading view: This view fills most of the computer screen with a preview of your

presentation. Unlike Slide Show view, it includes easily accessible buttons for navigation, located at the bottom-right.

Slide Show view: This view completely fills the computer screen and is what the audience

will see when they view the presentation. Slide Show view has an additional menu that

appears when you hover over it, allowing you to navigate slides and access other features you

can use during a presentation.

Use the keys on your keyboard—including the arrow keys, Page Up and Page Down keys,

spacebar, and Enter key—to move through the slides in Slide Show view. Press the Esc

key to end the slide show.

To view an outline of your presentation:

The Outline tab shows your slide text in outline form. This allows you to quickly edit your slide text and view the contents of multiple slides at once.

1. Click the Outline tab in the left pane.

2. An outline of your slide text appears.

3. Type directly in the pane to make changes to your text.

To organize slides into sections:

You can organize your slides into sections to make your presentation easier to navigate.

Sections can be collapsed or expanded in the left pane and named for easy reference. In this

example, we will add two sections: one for dogs that are available for adoption, and another

for cats and other pets.

1. Select the slide you want to begin your first section.

2. From the Home tab, click the Section command.

3. Choose Add Section from the drop-down menu.

4. An Untitled Section appears in the left pane.

5. To rename the section while it is still selected, click the Section command, then

choose Rename Section from the drop-down menu.

6. Enter your new section name in the dialog box. Click Rename.

7. Repeat to add as many sections as you want.

8. In the left pane, click the arrow next to a section name to collapse or expand it

Adding notes to slides

PowerPoint gives you the ability to add notes to your slides—often called speaker notes—to

help you deliver or prepare for your presentation. You can enter and view your speaker notes

using the Notes pane or the Notes Page view.

To use the Notes pane:

1. Locate the Notes pane at the bottom of the screen, directly below the Slide pane.

2. Click and drag the edge of the pane to make it larger or smaller.

3. Type your notes in the Notes pane.

To use Notes Page view:

1. Go to the View tab.

2. Click the Notes Page command in the Presentation Views group.

3. Type your notes in the text box, or use the scroll bar to review your slides.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing PowerPoint presentation. If you want, you can use this example.

2. Change the layout of a slide. If you are using the example, change the layout of slide 3

to Section Header.

3. Add a new blank slide, then insert a text box.

4. Copy and paste a slide, then move it to a new location.

5. View your presentation in Normal view, Slide Sorter view, Reading view, and Slide

Show view.

6. View an outline of your presentation in the left pane.

7. Divide your presentation into at least two sections, and

try collapsing and expanding them. If you are using the example, create one section

for dogs and another for cats and other pets.

8. Experiment with adding speaker notes to your presentation using the Notes pane and

the Notes Page view.